Proto Wednesdays
Boerum Hill Studio · Boerum Hill
ProtoToto is a design and architecture studio for kids who love to draw, build, and make things. In the same way that a theater program is the right fit for a kid who loves to perform, ProtoToto is perfect for kids who gravitate toward art and making — if your child lights up with a Posca pen, cardboard, or tape in hand, this is their kind of after-school program. Here, kids learn to think and create like designers and architects. It's a hands-on, playful, and experimental way to explore how our built environment works — the objects, buildings, information, and stories that shape everyday life. Along the way, kids develop real-life skills: creative problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. They leave more confident and more comfortable taking on open-ended challenges. Every session is different. Some weeks we experiment with materials — clay, cardstock, wire — to test new design approaches. Others we turn to fundamentals: sketching, prototyping, craft. We toggle between 2D design and 3D building, thinking about how things hold weight, how people move through space, and what makes a structure function. And some weeks we put on our inventor hats, using design thinking to tackle real-world needs and pitch ideas like young entrepreneurs. Activities range from structured and technical to open-ended and expressive — always hands-on , always playful . (Kids enrolled in more than one day a week always get a new project.)

